A semi-finalist from MasterChef: The Professionals has died aged 29 after collapsing at the London Marathon. Matt Campbell collapsed at the 22.5 mile mark and died later at hospital, despite receiving immediate medical attention at the scene.
The chef was a runner-up on the BBC show in 2017, and inspired viewers with his innovative ideas. Matt was running in memory of his father, Martin, who died in the summer of 2016, and had shared photos of himself and a friend ahead of the race, which was the hottest London Marathon on record.
© Photo: InstagramMatt Campbell died after collapsing at the London Marathon - he had earlier shared a photo of his kit
A statement released on Monday from Virgin Money, the race organisers, said: "Matt was a well-known chef who featured in Masterchef: The Professionals last year, inspiring viewers with his Nutritional Gastronomy movement and forward-thinking ideas. He was running for The Brathay Trust and in memory of his father, Martin, who died in the summer of 2016."
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They continued: "Matt’s family today paid tribute to their inspirational son and brother, who was a keen marathon runner and had earlier this month completed the Manchester Marathon in under 3 hours. Matt’s chosen charity, The Brathay Trust, inspires vulnerable young people to make positive changes in their lives: his fundraising page is here. Everyone involved in the organisation of the London Marathon would like to express our sincere condolences to Matt’s family and friends."
Matt was a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2017
No further details on Matt's death were released. The chef was a keen runner and completed the Manchester Marathon on 8 April, achieving a personal best time of 2 hours 56 minutes. After the event, he had shared a picture of himself celebrating on Instagram, which he captioned: "Amazing day @manchestermarathon perfect conditions, great support. Thank you SO much to everyone who has sponsored me, my dad and @brathaychallenges."
